England interim coach Stuart Lancaster has moved 20-year-old Owen Farrell to fly-half in one of four changes to his starting side for the Six Nations clash against Wales at Twickenham this weekend.

A cut finger has sidelined Farrell’s Saracens team-mate Charlie Hodgson, England’s fly-half in their opening two matches.

Farrell, who has played at fly-half for English champions Saracens, moves across to No.10 with the powerful Manu Tuilagi, who hasn’t featured for England since the World Cup because of a hamstring injury, replacing Farrell at inside centre.

Leicester lock Geoff Parling was handed his first Test start in place of Tom Palmer, dropped after England failed to secure enough quality lineout ball in a 19-15 win away to Italy last time out.

Two other players will also be making their first Test starts at Twickenham.

Back-rower Ben Morgan is in at No.8 after impressing off the bench in place of Phil Dowson while scrum-half Lee Dickson, who injected some much-needed urgency when coming on in Rome, takes over from Ben Youngs.

Lancaster resisted the temptation to recall fly-half Toby Flood following a knee injury although the Leicester playmaker is on the bench.

Also on the bench is second-row forward Courtney Lawes, fit following a knee problem.

England have won away to both Scotland and Italy in their opening two Six Nations matches but have managed just a solitary try in each game, Hodgson charging down for scores at Murrayfield and the Olympic Stadium.

But World Cup semi-finalists Wales are currently top of the table, having run in six tries in all during the course of wins over Ireland and Scotland.

Wales are expected to provide Lancaster, appointed on a caretaker basis following Martin Johnson’s post-World Cup resignation, with his toughest test to date even though they’ve won just once at Twickenham since 1988.

England team:

Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Manu Tuilagi, Brad Barritt, David Strettle, Owen Farrell, Lee Dickson, Ben Morgan, Chris Robshaw (capt), Tom Croft, Geoff Parling, Mouritz Botha, Dan Cole, Dylan Hartley, Alex Corbisiero.

Replacements: Rob Webber, Matt Stevens, Courtney Lawes, Phil Dowson, Ben Youngs, Toby Flood, Mike Brown.